Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry has progressed considerably over the years and there are now several effective ways to repair decayed teeth. In today’s post, we are going to focus on two similar types of restorations: dental inlays and onlays.

Where possible, an inlay or an onlay can be a less-invasive substitute for a complete crown and either one is usually more affordable than a porcelain crown procedure.

Inlays/onlays are “indirect fillings,” meaning that they are created in a lab and placed whole on the tooth. A traditional “direct filling” is applied to the tooth while the material is malleable and then shaped by the dentist.

An inlay is used to repair the surface of a damaged tooth, frequently to fill a small cavity or a natural pit that is at risk for decay.

Typically porcelain or composite resin are used for inlays; these materials are heavy-duty and look very natural because the color can be matched correctly to the surrounding teeth. An inlay is perfectly fitted to your tooth and looks, feels, and functions like the former tooth.

An onlay covers a larger part of the tooth. Because they cover such a large area of the tooth, they are often referred to as partial crowns. Onlays are typically applied to the biting surface of the tooth. Just like inlays, they are precisely fitted to the damaged part of the tooth. Composite resin and porcelain are also the main materials used to create an onlay. As mentioned before, inlays and onlays serve a vital role in restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

At Sherman Oaks Dental – Michael Bjornbak, DDS, we provide unmatched dental care including inlays and onlays. If you have one or more teeth that has a cavity, crack, or excessive wear, call 818-465-9704 to make an appointment today.

Contact Sherman Oaks Dental – Michael Bjornbak, DDS:

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In a perfect world, each of your priceless teeth would stay healthy, strong, and brilliantly white throughout your life. The truth is, however, that most California men and women will need to restore a tooth at some point.

A tooth can be compromised by tooth decay, enamel erosion, a chip or crack, gum disease, or injury. Sometimes old restorations break and need to be replaced or root canals performed decades ago develop an abscess.

Dental Bonding Bonding, officially called direct composite veneers, is used to correct minor cosmetic troubles – small chips, cracks, discoloration, and spaces between teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist applies moldable tooth-colored composite resin and shapes as desired. The resin is then cured with a special light to harden and adhere tightly to the tooth. Composite bonding is frequently the most cost-effective option for improving healthy teeth with minor cosmetic issues.

Porcelain Veneers Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin tooth-shaped fronts that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth. They are used when the underlying tooth is structurally sound and free of tooth decay. A beautiful veneer can cover a chip or crack or fix the alignment of a tooth that appears slightly off kilter as compared to surrounding teeth.

Fillings Modern white fillings are strong and inconspicuous. A minimally invasive filling at Sherman Oaks Dental leaves you with more of nature’s ideal dental material — your own enamel and dentin. We can also replace old amalgam fillings with white fillings. This makes your teeth look a lot better every time you open your mouth. Get rid of all that metal!

Inlays and Onlays A traditional filling is shaped and molded after it is applied to the tooth. Because inlays and onlays are produced in a dental lab, they are usually called indirect fillings. A less invasive inlay or onlay may be used instead of a traditional filling or, in some cases, a crown. Inlays are applied to just the center of the biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point) and are typically smaller than onlays. An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth.

Crowns A crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, durability, and function. A crown is ordinarily necessary for a tooth that has had a root canal, a tooth with extreme decay, or as the replacement tooth in a dental bridge. Attaching a crown to the abutment is the final step of a tooth implant procedure. Crowns can be made of all metal (such as gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all ceramic, or all resin.

Soft Tissue Grafts Gum recession puts teeth and underlying bone at risk. Soft tissue grafting can cover the exposed root of a tooth to impede further damage. Gum surgery is also executed for cosmetic reasons such reshaping a gumline to eliminate a “gummy” smile.

Dental Implants What if a tooth has to be extracted because it is beyond saving? For many Sherman Oaks Dental patients, a dental implant anchored into the bone is the prime solution. A tooth implant consist of a strong metal post (artificial root), abutment (connecting piece), and beautiful crown. A dental implant had many advantages over a dental bridge. They are stronger, provide virtually natural function, prohibit bone recession, and do not influence the surrounding teeth. For patients with multiple missing teeth, individually-constructed implant-anchored dentures can be designed in any configuration necessary.

For more specifics about any of these procedures, call Sherman Oaks Dental at 818-465-9704. Thanks for visiting the Sherman Oaks Dental blog. We appreciate your interest in our Sherman Oaks dental practice.

Contact Sherman Oaks Dental:

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Some Sherman Oaks people are unhappy with the way their teeth look but many mistakenly assume that cosmetic dentistry is far too expensive to pursue.

Sure, a complete mouth reconstruction can be a steep investment. Consider the cost of dental school and post-graduate training for a master level cosmetic dentist. Consider the expense of individually creating multiple restorations at a high-tech dental lab. Consider the cost of setting up and maintaining a full-service dental practice or laboratory.

Before you give up on improving your smile, however, think about a less celebrated but extremely effective and reasonably-priced cosmetic dental remedy: dental bonding.

Dental bonding has a wide range of applications for unsightly teeth. Bonding can repair a tooth that is damaged, chipped, short, or discolored. It can can also correct teeth that have gaps in between them.

How does the dental bonding procedure work?

First, your tooth will be slightly (but painlessly) roughed up to help the resin adhere. Your dentist will use a shade guide to know the precise color of composite to match the existing teeth. Your dentist will apply liquid composite resin on the tooth, layer by layer. He or she will carefully shape and polish it before it hardens.The tooth is then covered with a conditioning liquid that aids in adhesion.

Once the resin is bonded, it is further molded to the perfect shape for your bite and appearance. A laser helps quickly bond the resin in place as it hardens. Further shaping and polishing, if needed, complete the procedure. The result is a beautiful smile.

Bonding is a simple and cost-effective method for perfecting your smile. Call today at to set up an appointment at818-465-9704.

We invite you to meet the incredible team at Sherman Oaks Dental in Sherman Oaks. We are proud of our highly regarded reputation for important personalized attention and first-rate care. Our compassionate team can answer any questions you have about our top services: dental implants, porcelain veneers, and teeth whitening.

Contact Sherman Oaks Dental:

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There are basically two ways to handle a chipped tooth: 1. Panic. 2. See Dr. Michael Bjornbak right away and get on with life.

Dr. Michael Bjornbak at Sherman Oaks Dental can fix a chipped tooth in a jiffy by determining the right solution and expertly preforming the procedure. Decay, missing teeth, braces, even crowns can impact the course of treatment.

Time is often an important factor when it comes to tooth repair so don’t wait, call 818-465-9704 to schedule an appointment. Our address is:4849 Van Nuys Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

We’ve been around since 1987 – serving your neighbors in Sherman Oaks and improving smiles for Van Nuys patients.

When Sherman Oaks residents need sedation dentistry, we’ve successfully managed their treatment. When Sherman Oaks patients have needed cosmetic dentistry, we’ve watched happy, smiling patients leave our office. And when you need Invisalign, we are pleased with the opportunity to make a true believer out of you!

Contact Sherman Oaks Dental:

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In a perfect world, each of your priceless teeth would stay healthy, strong, and brilliantly white throughout your life. The truth is, however, that most California men and women will need to restore a tooth at some point.

A tooth can be compromised by tooth decay, enamel erosion, a chip or crack, gum disease, or injury. Sometimes old restorations break and need to be replaced or root canals performed decades ago develop an abscess.

Dental Bonding Bonding, officially called direct composite veneers, is used to correct minor cosmetic troubles – small chips, cracks, discoloration, and spaces between teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist applies moldable tooth-colored composite resin and shapes as desired. The resin is then cured with a special light to harden and adhere tightly to the tooth. Composite bonding is frequently the most cost-effective option for improving healthy teeth with minor cosmetic issues.

Porcelain Veneers Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin tooth-shaped fronts that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth. They are used when the underlying tooth is structurally sound and free of tooth decay. A beautiful veneer can cover a chip or crack or fix the alignment of a tooth that appears slightly off kilter as compared to surrounding teeth.

Fillings Modern white fillings are strong and inconspicuous. A minimally invasive filling at Sherman Oaks Dental leaves you with more of nature’s ideal dental material — your own enamel and dentin. We can also replace old amalgam fillings with white fillings. This makes your teeth look a lot better every time you open your mouth. Get rid of all that metal!

Inlays and Onlays A traditional filling is shaped and molded after it is applied to the tooth. Because inlays and onlays are produced in a dental lab, they are usually called indirect fillings. A less invasive inlay or onlay may be used instead of a traditional filling or, in some cases, a crown. Inlays are applied to just the center of the biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point) and are typically smaller than onlays. An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth.

Crowns A crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, durability, and function. A crown is ordinarily necessary for a tooth that has had a root canal, a tooth with extreme decay, or as the replacement tooth in a dental bridge. Attaching a crown to the abutment is the final step of a tooth implant procedure. Crowns can be made of all metal (such as gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all ceramic, or all resin.

Soft Tissue Grafts Gum recession puts teeth and underlying bone at risk. Soft tissue grafting can cover the exposed root of a tooth to impede further damage. Gum surgery is also executed for cosmetic reasons such reshaping a gumline to eliminate a “gummy” smile.

Dental Implants What if a tooth has to be extracted because it is beyond saving? For many Sherman Oaks Dental patients, a dental implant anchored into the bone is the prime solution. A tooth implant consist of a strong metal post (artificial root), abutment (connecting piece), and beautiful crown. A dental implant had many advantages over a dental bridge. They are stronger, provide virtually natural function, prohibit bone recession, and do not influence the surrounding teeth. For patients with multiple missing teeth, individually-constructed implant-anchored dentures can be designed in any configuration necessary.

For more specifics about any of these procedures, call Sherman Oaks Dental at 818-465-9704. Thanks for visiting the Sherman Oaks Dental blog. We appreciate your interest in our Sherman Oaks dental practice.

Contact Sherman Oaks Dental:

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

At Sherman Oaks Dental in Sherman Oaks, we use a variety of techniques to restore damaged teeth. Most Sherman Oaks dental patients are familiar with fillings. Traditional fillings are also called ‘direct restorations’ because they are applied to the tooth and then shaped and polished in one visit.

Another type of filling is called an ‘indirect restoration’ and is fabricated in a dental lab. There are two types: inlays and onlays.

When a tooth needs more extensive dental restoration, a crown is often used. At Sherman Oaks Dental in Sherman Oaks, we create strong, natural-looking crowns from a variety of materials.

You have probably heard around Sherman Oaks about dental implants; the tooth replacement option that is, in most cases, the best possible replacement for a missing tooth. Dental implants have been used in Van Nuys and Sherman Oaks for many years to replace one or two missing teeth. However, they can also provide a structure for crowns, bridges, and anchored dentures that replace nearly every tooth in the mouth!

‘Linda’ was a 52 year-old Sherman Oaks patient with a mouthful of problems. She was missing most of her back teeth on both her upper and lower arch. Four of her front teeth were chipped and her gums had eroded revealing the metal bases of two old dental crowns.

To restore a beautiful, strong and youthful-looking smile, she would receive dental implants to anchor partial dentures for her upper and lower back teeth. After soft tissue grafts, her front teeth would receive a combination of porcelain veneers and crowns.

The result? A stunning smile, renewed confidence and no more slipping dentures!